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Operation: WTF (Day 327)

It’s the Little Things

This looks like the guy who stole my iPod, except he was wearing ACUs.

We’re less than two weeks out from departing this wretched place and I find now here, in the end, it’s the little things that are starting to add up. In the real world, something so small would not even faze you, you might not even notice, but here everything has the power to irritate. It’s the small things that seem to get trapped under the skin to vex you the most.

I was rather pleased with how calm I remained after realising that someone had stole my iPod. It’s the second iPod I lost to someone in the military. When I opened my shower bag and found that it was gone, I didn’t even blink an eye. I am no longer stressed by the fact that the Army preaches integrity but no one seems to have any. I just thought to myself there was very little I could do about it. I can run screaming up the chain of command but that isn’t going to bring it back. Even if I found the person who took it, I have no recourse. Better to just get over it. The good thing is that I don’t have to stoop to theft to get another, as I can well afford to buy 50 iPods if I feel like it.

I am still pissed about my shirt.

I felt more rage over the loss of my black t-shirt the laundry people stole. It was something rather irreplaceable, and the fact that the guy was lying so blatantly to my face truly pissed me off. But even then, there’s nothing I can do. Just get over it.

These are two big things that would cause a lesser person to flip out. I just ranted in my blog and moved on. But now, I find an overwhelming urge to punch someone in the face again. And it’s over something so small. I am going to look back at this in two years’ time and wonder why I was so worked up. But now that I’m here in the situation, I really am about to lose my mind.

What is this about? Water. The free water that is all over the place. Free water.

Back home I tend to drink room temperature water, but since I am subjected to extraordinary temperatures and am forced outdoors during the hottest portion of the day I found that I desire something ICE COLD to drink. I started putting bottles of water in the freezer when I come into work in the evenings. I put in three. Two to drink in about an hour or so, and one to take back to the tent when I get off at night. Nothing is better than something tall and cool after a hot dusty transport. The first few days I was doing this, there was nothing significant to report.

Freezing the water is the only way to get rid of the melted plastic taste.

However, just earlier this week, someone has been taking my ice cold bottles of water. Now, I can’t really get mad because the water is free. I didn’t pay for it. I’m only irked because I took the time to open up one refrigerator, remove three bottles of water and open up another refrigerator to insert said bottles of water. The fridges are right next to each other. It requires no strenuous thought or heavy lifting. There’s no walking involved. It probably takes less than a second to accomplish the mission. I don’t understand why the individual who took the water couldn’t do this himself. And then they took ALL the water, not just one bottle, but all three. Again, I can’t get mad. The water is free. What can I do?

The next day I decided to do the same thing. Only this time I OPENED the bottles of water and drank out of them. I figured no one would take a bottle that has clearly been drunk out of. Two hours later, all the bottles of water were gone. I’m not going to storm through the office looking for some free bottles of water, but I think to myself that this is totally petty. What makes me so annoyed is that taking something that doesn’t belong to you is wrong, but if I went around demanding to know who took my water, I would look like an idiot. It’s just one of those situations.

I believe I have a fair idea of who is doing this. There are only so many of us who work at night. There are two individuals who sit in the general vicinity of the refrigerators who have watched me put bottles of water into the freezer. Instead of taking mine, why don’t you get the bright idea to put your own in there? I mean, it’s not that hard. But you know, I’m not going to get pissed. It just proves that my initial assessment of certain people was accurate. I tend to give everyone the lowest expectations. This way I can be pleasantly surprised when those expectations are exceeded, and vice-versa, I think nothing of it when people do exactly as I think they’ll do.

At any rate, so yesterday, I once again put two bottles of water in the freezer. This time I wrote my name on the bottle. Sounds silly, but I didn’t put the water in there for someone else’s benefit. Two hours later the water is still there? It’s not because I wrote my name on it. It’s because the fridge is broken and the water never froze. Apparently, no one else wants lukewarm water either.

Disclaimer

Because nothing is complete without a list of rules:

1. Commentary is highly encouraged; however, don't be That Guy. Keep it bland. Also, remain anonymous. I have no desire to know any of you. Do not describe yourself, your location, or anything that someone might give a shit about. Don't even approach me in person. Chances are I do not even like you and wouldn't want to talk to you anyway.

2. All characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and something I dreamt up while sitting on the toilet. In fact, I'm not even a real person. I am a baby tapir living at the San Diego zoo.

3. This is my personal journal and any views and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own lunatic ramblings and NOT the opinions of my overlord--who would first have to have a huddle, then a briefing, followed by a memo and then another briefing in order to have an opinion. The two have nothing to do with each other, so don't even go there.